Commission debates building contingency pot, capital fund and target reserve for FY2026

Creole County staff told the commissioners July 28 that adopting the current tax rate would leave the general fund with a reserve well below conservative targets, prompting debate over whether to increase contingency funding or move money to capital improvement. The key point: County staff reported total general-fund expenditures would rise from about $23.55 million (prior year) to $25.61 million under the current proposals; that projection produced a general fund reserve of roughly 5.889% if the current tax rate were adopted, far below a commonly cited 20–25% target. Why it matters: Commissioners repeatedly returned to the question of how large a reserve the county should hold and where to place flexible dollars. Staff had included a proposed $200,000 in a general 'miscellaneous/contingency' line; one commissioner proposed reducing that to $100,000 and shifting funds to capital improvements, while others said some contingency should remain for unpredictable legal or inmate-board costs. Supporting detail: Staff noted that some line items already contain small contingency cushions and that capital improvements (for roofs, buildings, HVAC projects) are budgeted separately; the court recorded a projected capital improvement total of roughly $455,000 in the packet. Commissioners asked staff to prepare clearer line-item breakouts and suggested further cuts would be necessary to avoid raising the tax rate or eroding reserves. Outcome: No formal appropriation or tax-rate decision was made at the meeting. Commissioners agreed to continue workshop discussions after lunch and asked staff for a clearer list of priority cuts, the dollar amount needed to reach specific reserve targets, and a breakdown showing which contingency funds could be moved to capital accounts. Ending: Staff was asked to produce scenarios showing the dollar gap to reach reserve targets and to return with refined recommendations as the FY2026 process continues.